A majority of senators, including 16 Democrats, voted Wednesday night in favor of a non-binding measure in The Senate opposes entering into a deal With Iran, which deals only with the regime’s nuclear program, in addition to removing the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorism. The final vote on the measure was 62 to 33.
Wednesday’s vote came on a proposal made by Republican Senator James Lankford, as part of a Senate review of the United States Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) aimed at countering China.
The motion directs senators negotiating the final bill with the House to “insist” that the legislation must include language requiring the provision that any nuclear weapons agreement with Iran must include provisions that “address the full scope of Iran’s destabilizing activities,” including: That includes missiles, terrorism, and evasion of sanctions.. No sanctions are lifted from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, nor does it cancel the Revolutionary Guard’s designation as a terrorist organization.
Senator Ted Cruz (AFP)
The administration of President Joe Biden sought to accede to the 2015 nuclear agreement, which the Donald Trump administration withdrew from in 2018. The original deal did not address issues outside Iran’s nuclear program.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was among those voting in favor of the bill.
James Lankford (archive from AFP)
The measure has reportedly become a contentious issue in the Senate, with some Democrats trying to block the vote. Lankford allegedly threatened to block Senate proceedings on the bill unless he secured a vote on the measure.
Shortly after the vote, Senator Chris Coons, a close ally of the administration referred to as “President Joe Biden’s Secretary of State,” said in a statement that his vote “does not undermine my continued support for the administration’s efforts to negotiate an agreement” and that he “maintains an open mind toward any potential outcomes.” “. He said he voted in favor of the proposal “in order to encourage the Biden administration’s negotiations to advance the strongest possible deal that addresses Iran’s nuclear weapons program and many other malign activities.”
For his part, Senator Lankford said in a speech before the vote, “This law does not address China’s practices in buying and storing sanctioned Iranian oil on the black market.” “The rise in purchases by China is directly related to the rise in terrorist activities by Iran and its proxies in the Middle East…”
Lankford’s proposal was the second measure put to a vote on Iran on Wednesday.
Earlier on Wednesday, 86 senators voted in favor of a motion by Republican Senator Ted Cruz that said terrorism-related sanctions on Iran’s Central Bank and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard are “necessary to limit cooperation between Iran and China.”
Cruz’s proposal directs Senate negotiators on the competition bill with China to “insist” that the final bill include language requiring the administration to report to Congress on cooperation between China and Iran.